


Wandering Troop Library

by dandelionqueen



Category: Flight Rising, Original Work
Genre: Body Horror, Bugs & Insects, Dragons, Eldritch, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Fae & Fairies, Ghosts, Libraries, Monsters, Multi, Non-Graphic Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Abuse, Permanent Injury
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:47:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 6,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24330814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dandelionqueen/pseuds/dandelionqueen
Summary: A collection of my lore from Flight Rising. Each chapter is a different dragon from my lair.Deep in the forgotten parts of the Arcane Isles is a Library. Some say strange creatures run it, and even stranger dragons seek it out. It's said that the building itself walks on its own, as if arcanites own thirst for knowledge drives it. That said, if you are gonna look for it, be careful. And bring something for the Library.
Kudos: 1





	1. The Wandering Library

**Author's Note:**

> Most of these chapters are short and there's a lot of them cause they're all originally from Flight Rising info boxes. Treat em like short and snacky vignettes cause they mostly focus on one character at a time rather than a flat story. I may or may not update this with more bios, lots of my dragons only have one sentence at most which is why they're not here. I'm not really treating this as a story, more like character exploration in a universe I like

The Troop Library seems like something that grew out of the land itself, spawned by the magic of enough curiosity coming together rather than any builders. It is strangely easy to find when you want to learn something and impossible all other times. The Library features many fae amber buildings, but new additions reflect the tastes of new members.

The Library is a collection of all kinds of research. It accepts ambassadors in exchange for assistance with this research, whether it be access to samples, a supply of research literature, or individuals who wish to assist. As long as you have something to exchange, some kind of information or service preferably, the Troop Library will freely lend out anything it has. The Library values above all else the exchange of knowledge. 

Members of the Troop call the Library a living entity. It operates on a set of rules that are not to be broken: if you take something, you have to leave something; it will accept any offer freely given; and do not destroy the books. The Library loves knowledge and its curators and curios. Dragons find themselves inexplicably protected by it if they've helped the Library somehow. Many strange creatures are found roaming the shelves and surrounding area and whole sections seem to appear right when you've almost given up looking for them. The Troop agrees that if you're looking for information, the Library is second only to the Observatory.

Due to the upsurge in Arcane magic, the Library has grown many giant dragon-like legs made out of the same building materials the section above it is. The Library has taken to wandering around the Arcane Isles. It will follow and harass researchers for knowledge if they know something rare or hard to get. It largely ignores other libraries. It seems to find Oculus Sanctums to be either very curious or threatening, sometimes trying to play with the buildings, investigate them, or throw up a threat display by screaming and throwing open every door and window it has. It still returns to its original spot, seeming to nest there.

Every member of the clan is autistic and polyamourous. 

The Troop Library is made of the pink marble and large chunks of pink chalcedony that is commonly found in the Isles. The front of the Library has several giant Ionic Greek columns. On the left of the Library is the flower gardens which house mainly sunflowers which were planted after the discovery that they reduced the harmful affects of Arcane energy in none-Arcane dragons. To the right are farms for the clan to raise and grow food. In the rear are the training fields/large experiment zones. The rear is marked with craters from explosions.

The Library is made of four floors and a basement. The top most floor is dedicated to research and access is restricted for the safety of patrons and the experiments. The Library is run by Ardito and Caritas. Ardito is the head librarian and can be found at the front desk. Caritas is in charge of maintaining the books, adding new material, and is in charge of the Living Book section. The Living Books are a group of Nocturnes who have used their copying abilities to memorize stories and first hand accounts told to them. These dragons are highly valued and often accompany the clan researchers on field work.

The Head of Research is Starwings. He is in charge of forming partnerships with other clans and other flights. He maintains the system where dragons can come as ambassadors to assist in research.

Most of the dragons that choose to live in the Library make their homes in one of the many study rooms available. If someone chooses to renovate and clear out a new space, bookshelves already filled with books will just appear overnight. The books are often thematically appropriate to the purpose the room was going to have. Library staff requires dragons who are interested in renovations to report starting and finishing times in order to keep track of book locations. They will always know if someone has created a new room because sections of books will go missing. 

The Library basement is an actual maze with geometry that seems to cross into other dimensions, according to those who've chosen to study it. It is used as the Archives department. Library staff have long struggled to map out the place, to varying degrees of success. It is rumored that somewhere in the middle of the Archives is the coziest and quietest study area in the entire Library. Few have found it and many write it off as a legend. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part is also on The Lorebrary over here https://the-lorebrary.fandom.com/wiki/Dandelionqueen's_Lair


	2. Leaf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All dragons from this point out are from here so check em out ^^  
> https://www1.flightrising.com/lair/59042/515394/

There are many dangerous spirits in Sornieth. You only caught a glimpse of this one. What could it want? Oh wait, this is clearly just a dragon...  
Little is known about Leaf among the Coalition. She mostly keeps to herself and her plants. Her two best friends are Lemon and Siberia. She will sit and sign for hours to them. Lemon enjoys helping her in the gardens and Siberia will always bring her mysterious plants she's found on her adventures. She enjoys growing sunflowers and has surrounded the main cave with them.She arrived at the clan with those flowers along her back and they seem to be the reason she can't speak. Sometimes, dragons will catch Siberia talking to them.

Leaf is secretly a living plant that her mates Lemon and Siberia discovered while researching how plants react to arcane magic.


	3. Moon

There are many dangerous spirits in Sornieth. You only caught a glimpse of this one. What could it want? This one at least seems less dangerous than its friend...

Moon is a tricky spirit to encounter, though not actually an evil one. He wanders among the flowers that grow in the Starwood Strand and feeds off confusion and doubt. He will whisper in visitors ears and get them lost when the wander the Strand alone at night. He tries to keep them away from Aulon as best he can and does eventually release dragons when he is sated. That can take some time though. Some signs of his presence are sudden chills and strange patches of frost.

He seems to have made friends with a pair of dragons living in his forest...


	4. Gargoyle

This strange statue was unearthed when the Library left its foundation. It was trapped in a small room with a dry fountain before but now can be found anywhere there is running water. Its even appeared next to Lemon's desktop zen fountain when he was face-down in texts. No one had noticed until Lemon let loose a string of swears and assistants rushed in only to find the statue taking up the cramped office and blocking the door closed. Once it was pushed to the side enough for Lemon to squeeze out, it once again vanished without a single person seeing how. Lemon swears he saw its jeweled eyes glittering with mirth. He moved his desk fountain to the larger lab after that. 


	5. Avarice

There are many dangerous spirits in Sornieth. You only caught a glimpse of this one. What could it want? _bzzzzzzz_

Avarice never speaks but buzzes his wings together instead. His mouth looks normal but upon closer inspection opens to reveal an insect mandible with thousands of moving parts. Sometimes he readjusts them and his face contorts in unnatural expressions.

Avarice is a guard that works under Necrosis and Rapture.


	6. Jackal

Another monstrosity has been attracted to Lute's band of creatures. Jackal is a shapeshifter from a mysterious glade in the Southern Icefields. She prefers her monster form over her dragon form and only shifts to dragon when she absolutely has to.

Jackal left her home in order to research just how The Glade was able to form in the first place. She seeks to return it to its natural state of magic nullification. Upon exiting The Glade, however, her natural magic abilities rushed back. Being so unused to magic was a painful nightmare for Jackal. Shifting to her monster form helps, but not much. She had to learn how to control her own magic before she could pursue her House's goal.

Jackal learned of a research facility specializing in magic to the north. They were the likeliest to have answers to both questions she sought, or at least would be fascinated enough to want to help her.

She sticks with Lute because, initially, being so close to the core of the Arcane Isles burned even more than her introduction to magic, and because she has a guilty fascination with necromancy. Lute, for better or worse, enjoys Jackal's company and agreed to teach her some necrotic tricks. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got some of this lore inspiration from Chee's lore who I originally bought the dragon from. Their clan is over here  
> https://flightrising.com/main.php?p=lair&tab=userpage&id=47514


	7. Romero

The first viable zombie servant created by Lute! Romero is a little disgruntled to be an undead servant especially since he's the one who has to clean up Myiasis's "gifts". At least no one in his new clan seems to care that he's a rotting corpse. Still totally bailing the second he gets that magical obedience collar off.

Romero, while alive, was an old imperial prince. He figures that's something that attracted Lute to his festering corpse in the first place. It's completely degrading to have to clean up swamp sick every day and do the menial chores of a witch. He doesn't know what he'd actually be doing if he wasn't forced to be here! But! That definitely won't stop him from trying to escape!

Look its just unnatural for an imperial to be around walking and talking while dead. Being himself gives Romero the creeps, he's been avoiding touching any other imperials alive _or_ dead. If there's anything worse than an emperor, its _being an emperor while still conscious inside of it._ Romero doesn't want to _think_ about what that necromancer might be putting in her potions, but if any of it is using his unstable imperial genetics he might as well be a ticking time bomb and that just stresses him out at this point.


	8. Sparkle

There are many dangerous spirits in Sornieth. You only caught a glimpse of this one. What could it want? This one rests on a glittering hoard of treasure...

Sparkle enjoys everything that glitters. She often appears as a tinge in the water or air and is often dismissed as smoke. She collects anything that falls into the water surrounding the Isles as long as it shines. Sometimes her children wash up on the shore. They are all very strange dragons who bear gills even though they're arcane, and have a strange fascination for glittering objects. Often while asleep, they are visited by a strange haze.


	9. Prototype

Ampere always made a point to check in on Dawn and Day whenever they came back from a dig. While Dawn did know a little about engineering from growing up in the Carrion Canyon, it certainly wasn't his expertise and Ampere's help was always appreciated. Besides, it was just interesting what they would find.

"Oh Ampere good to see you again!" Day called. Dawn waved in the vague direction of the entrance, still pouring over notes. "We were just about to send for you. This recent dig turned up some fascinating information though of course we'll still need to translate the fine details a bit so that'll take a while and we should let Xavier know to tell the Sunbeam Scholars, you know how they get, and then of course Starwings would have to know to oversee the whole thing and..."

Dawn patted off to the side of her face. "Dearest, you're getting ahead of yourself."

"Oh yes sorry," Day blinked. "Anyway, we were wondering if you would be interested in helping us with a little project."

* * *

Prototype is an android built through a combination of ancient technology, state-of-the-art science, and experimental magic. No one is 100% sure what she's capable of but it's sure to be interesting.

So far she mostly goes around testing things with her sensors and buzzing and humming. Siberia has been following her around, humming along.


	10. Lark

There are many dangerous spirits in Sornieth. You only caught a glimpse of this one. What could it want? This one is silent...

Lark can only ever be seen at a distance. He appears as a dark flame of a dragon. He looks somberly over dragons who are fated to die in battle. It is said that he was once a great warrior that was so fearsome, he was dubbed a living Emperor. If you try to approach him, he turns and walks off never to be found.


	11. Necrosis

There are many dangerous spirits in Sornieth. You only caught a glimpse of this one. What could it want? This one stinks of molten gold and rot.

Brother to Myiasis, Necrosis was curious about what his brother was up to and came to visit. He moves with an eerie insectile rasping sound and his beautiful golden armor appears to be actually part of his body. His skin sometimes melts and reforms as if it forgets what form its supposed to hold. His body is covered in injuries that never heal.

Necrosis is followed by two insect guards, Rapture and Avarice. 


	12. Librarian

There are many dangerous spirits in Sornieth. You only caught a glimpse of this one in between the rows of books. What could it want? It appears to be shelving the returns...

The Librarian roams the shelves at night, returning books to their proper locations.

Old hands at the Wandering Troop know not to bother The Librarian. The Librarian never talks. The Librarian never acknowledges anyone. The Librarian doesn't... move. Not in the ways you expect a person to move. Each step forward along the shelves just kind of...happens. You won't be able to tell how, even when you watch The Librarian. Even if you watched The Librarian for days.

Its... best not to watch The Librarian. You'll want to, of course. The only people that stick around at Wandering Troop are all the kind of people who'd want to figure it out, its only natural to be curious. No, its best not to watch The Librarian because sometimes, sometimes you'll see.

The Librarian is something odd. Something more like stone and smoke than like a dragon. It walks like a dragon, it's in the shape of a dragon. You'll hear the squeak of wheels from its shelving cart and think its a dragon. But if you look at it too long, you'll see its blank, alabaster face and its flickering thousand hands. It doesn't have the face of a dragon. It doesn't have the hands of a dragon. And definitely whatevers coiling within it, is not a dragon. Not at all.

No, better not disturb The Librarian. Its busy shelving the books, after all. 


	13. Mercurial

Mercurial is extraordinarily gifted in magic and transmutation, but uses these powers to go around tricking people than do anything useful. He's seen as a huge jerk by people that meet him. Surprisingly, he gets along well with the Library, probably because it can't be tricked and the last time Mercurial tried a whole bookcase dropped on him.

He's one of the few dragons who have found the Archive study room, and probably the only one to be able to find and use it whenever he wants. Library staff has attempted to hound him into helping map the Archives.


	14. Aulon

There are many dangerous spirits in Sornieth. You only caught a glimpse of this one. What could it want? This one does not seem particularly friendly...

Aulon is a very malignant spirit that haunts the Isles. She leaves burning footprints in her wake and lures dragons off the paths in the Starwood Strand with strange glowing lights. If you find bones that are covered in twisting vines and steaming piles of old vegetation, steer clear for she will still be nearby. It is not recommended that new comers visit the Strand alone.


	15. Malva

Malva works as an edible flower and bouquet arranger. She secretly makes them magic, adding little charms as she feels appropriate. On her off days she can be found visiting Nudibranch's tide pool, mostly bothering him. A bit of a wild child, she uses her magic to help others in ways that at first seem like a hindrance like making someone late for something so they can run into the love of their life.

Malva lived as an orphan in the Wandering Contagion for most of her early life. She never knew what happened to her family, if she had been abandoned or if they had simply died. All she knew was that she was alone in the world in one of the most dangerous places to be alone in. Still she was a survivor and she did her best.  
One day while out hunting, she met a strange guardian about her age. He had clearly never worked a day in his life and was thin and bony with starvation. Malva could see that his claws were at one point well groomed into useless, now broken off points and he had nary a callus or scar on him. To top it off, he hadn't noticed her even when she stopped sneaking. Immediately she started laughing at how pitiful he was.

The guardian sure noticed when this stranger started laughing at his struggles and went into a rant just to tell Malva what he thought of her behavior. This only made her laugh harder. Despite being close to death, this guardian still had the nerve to mouth off! Malva decided that she liked him and, ignoring the tug of pack instinct, decided to help him out. Of course she didn't make it easy on him, she followed him around as he unsuccessfully tried to hunt before showing him how it was done and laughing about how bad he was at it. He still had to hunt his own food.

It took a while for them to become friends and even longer for him to admit what he was doing in Plague territory at all. When Nudibranch told her she was his Charge, she didn't fully understand what that meant. Only now after joining the Library does she appreciate the sentiment.

That doesn't mean she goes any easier on him. She's still a plagueling after all, she has her limits.


	16. Winter

Long ago, Winter was an ordinary Guardian. Her Charge was an alchemist of some renown among the Starfall Isles for their experiments. Winter gladly would wake up at all hours to help them gather ingredients and run tests. However, one day she handed her Charge the wrong potion without either noticing. The resulting explosion killed them both.

Winter's spirit persisted. The magic in the failed experiment gave her body dangerous, toxic properties. She is now a gelatinous, glowing slime ghost forever searching for her lost Charge in her guilt. If anyone were to encounter her, they should absolutely not touch the gloop trail she leaves for it will kill them in an instant. 


	17. Lute

Lute is a necromancer who's made her home in the dead center of a swamp caught between the Isles and the Wasteland. She's somehow gained the favor of a very odd suitor who leaves her glowing piles of muddy vomit on her porch. She's found these gifts to be quite useful in her potions as they seem to immediately zombify the drinker.

Lute was _very_ intrigued when she learned about the Bogsneak mutagen and it's apparent anti-aging properties on those affected. She decided to brew up the strain to see how it might affect her zombie potions. She became accidentally affected, but she doesn't mind so much. She finds herself fitting in with other Bogsneaks more than Snappers.


	18. Ardito

Ardito knows that the Library needs a friendly face at the counter. They know they couldn't possibly return all the strange items that dragons check out, not when they can't find the shelf again after stepping away, not when the Library has a mind of its own. Ardito knew more than others, even before the Library left its foundations behind and decided to roam. The Library long had a reputation of giving patrons what they needed, as long as they donated to its collection. Many thought that the Library didn't even have any librarians! And wasn't that a funny thought, Ardito mussed.

They mostly sit at the counter and explain the rules to newcomers. Its very useful to have someone on hand to collect new materials after all.


	19. Lemon

Lemon is the clan's botanist. He's often seen with Leaf in the gardens testing out how plants react to arcane magic. He is especially interested in those strange plants Siberia is always bringing back for Leaf. He normally prefers plants to other dragons, particularly to those who mock his stutter. Don't mistake him for a pushover, though. Anyone who hurts his plants or his friends winds up in the infirmary.

Lemon is a well known scientist who has made extraordinary discoveries in how magic and plants interact. He's often criticized by his colleges for his sense of fashion which they consider too "impractical" and "not serious enough for scientific work". Lemon scoffs and continues to paint his nails. Another joke his colleges make is about how he's found the one dragon who's more into plants than he is to be mated with. Whenever he's asked how they met, Lemon smiles and says they met while he was collecting samples then he switches the topic.

It seems Lemon has discovered something in his studies...

While he was conducting an experiment on the effects of magical energies on plants, Lemon joined Siberia on an expedition. Sometime during that trip they found a race of sentient plants. One of them, Leaf, decided to come back home with them. Later Leaf and Lemon became mated. Somehow their children can wield both arcane and nature based magic and have plant and dragon based characteristics, all to varying degrees.


	20. Dawn

Dawn mainly collects information on ancient engineering practices with his mate Day. His specialty is translation. He absolutely hates anyone who would wantonly destroy ruins for a profit instead of preserving them for learning. He grew up in the Carrion Canyon where he gained a love for archeology from investigating all the bones.

Dawn is very quiet. He just straight doesn't talk much even when super engaged and interested in the conversation. Even directly asking him a question will only get you a few words.

He often gets absorbed in a single thing and won't let go until its completely finished. Dawn will ignore absolutely everything if he finds one good book. Day can usually pull him out before he gets to the point of not eating.


	21. Holly

Holly is the clan merchant. He maintains the supplies and stocks for the clan and works with Starwings to sell the inventions and discoveries of the scientists. He's a master at suddenly appearing when people are trying to sneak supplies out. No one is sure how he does this while being so colorful.

Originally Holly was a tracker spy for the Water Empire tasked with locating and bringing back Nudibranch. When he discovered that Nudi had found a Charge, he was then tasked to prevent him from attempting to overthrow the royal family again. Holly knows Nudibranch wouldn't do anything like that now that he has a Charge to protect and has essentially decided to retire. He still covers up his eyes to prevent Nudibranch or Malva from figuring out who he is.

Holly actually likes Malva a lot. She's the only artisan that hasn't tried to steal extra supplies.

Holly is secretly in love with Lucky, the fairy queen. He knows he could just go back to the Sea of a Thousand Currents whenever he wants since Nudibranch isn't actually a threat, but he stays just to see her.

He favors long range projectiles or his own poisonous skin when going hand-to-hand. Holly knows how to use ley lines to become physically and mentally invisible, effectively making Nudibranch's psychic searches useless against him.


	22. Suinter

It's well known that Earth dragons are honest and trustworthy folk, taken in with simple pleasures. Suinter uses these preconceptions to lie, swindle, and cheat people out of their hard earned treasure. Suinter makes potions of dubious usefulness but he is far more interested in the performance of advertising. Surprisingly, he is actually quite knowledgeable on transmutation. He had to learn when Baldwin became popular as many dragons began to call him out and he was quickly chased out of towns. If he trusts you, he might make a quick health potion and some throw away, offhanded remark.

He uses the Library as a hideout and doesn't usually bother the other residents. He donated a cookbook of his recipes for board and is currently writing a book about his opinions and methods on acting. All other times, he lives in his stage caravan on the road.


	23. Starwings

Starwings is often called prissy by other dragons when he's not listening. When he is they call him uptight. He's an adamant scholar who loves order. Many were surprised when Talise took him to be her mate. That is until Starwings was caught writing sappy love poetry to her.

Starwings is rather a traditionalist in his studies and focuses on spell weaving and the study of magic itself. His research into the properties of magic have lead him to become Head of Research, and form partnerships with many other researchers across the eleven flights. As such he works closely with the clan representatives to ensure good communications and connections. Currently his projects have lead him to join with Lemon and Leaf, who are researching how Arcane magic behaves with flora, and Ampere, who's researching how Arcane and Lightning magic interact with each other.


	24. Siberia

When Siberia was a young dragon, she wandered the Starfall Isles. The clan was surprised indeed when she came back covered in glowing eyes! Nobody has gotten the story of them though as she can only speak in ancient tongues now.

Siberia is often out exploring for weeks at a time. She always finds interesting magical items and will talk at length about them despite the difficulty others have in understanding her.

Currently, her close friend Leaf has been teaching her how to sign. They always end up talking into the night in a mix of sign language and that strange old tongue no other dragon can parse.

Siberia accidentally wandered into one of the Arcanist's old experiments as a youngling and now her magic doesn't work properly. It mostly manifests in the extra eyes and inability to speak in the common tongue. When she tries, her eyes and mouth begin to gush pink liquid, causing her to choke. She decided that her Charge was all the abandoned experiments. She travels Sornieth trying to clean them up and help dragons affected by them.

Siberia works as a guide and sample collector for the various researchers that come to the Isles. She knows every one of them and is the person to go to if you want to get a job as an assistant.


	25. Traveler

Traveler is trained in magic nullification for dragons who come to the clan with magical ailments. She was assigned to help Haima until she learns to control her own magic. She can speak in Coatl, Common, sign language, and Fae fin expressions and is trying to learn whatever language Siberia speaks.

Traveler is a amateur astronomer. When she wanders from clan to clan looking for people to help and work to do, she often gazes at the stars. Currently, she's studying how magic changes from breed to breed with the help of her mate, Jhudora.


	26. Jhudora

The only child of Garen and Orchid that decided to stay in the clan, Jhudora has taken up art and bone witchcraft. She fills her room with bones, stones, and feathers. She sets her favorites in amber for charms. She gives these charms out to hatchlings and other members of the lair. Talise and Traveler have the most. She will do tarot readings for a donation. She seems to have befriended one of the local spirits, the trickster Moon, that sometimes leads clients to their door.

She volunteered to take the bogsneak potion because it seemed fun. She has had to expand their home a bit for her to fit in. She still communicates with fin gestures a lot, but now enjoys the "melodies of tone" as she calls them. Jhudora's taken to singing, though she isn't very good at it. 

The other members of the community have noted that she went from weirdly to extremely friendly now that she's learned how to use voice inflections. She also smiles constantly now. Jhudora's taken to studying different languages with her mate, Traveler. They often work together on magic.


	27. Nadiya

Many people mistake Nadiya for an arcane born dragon when in reality her gembond disease has grown over her eyes, causing her to go blind and making them Arcane pink. She ignores anyone who assumes such. She views her disease as a gift from the Plaguemother and uses her shed gembond scales as gifts and decoration. Some dragons of the clan find this a little weird. Elbaite loves them.


	28. Elbaite

Elbaite imbues his paintings with magic so that they can move and perform upon command. He's an entertainer at heart and loves to hear the crowd applaud. He spends most of his time painting and writing scripts. He was very proud when he came up with a set of glowing, animated skin paints that he uses during shows. He'll commonly be found wearing his mate's decorated scales and depictions of them are always found in his paintings.

His goal is to create textured, 3D versions of his plays so his mate Nadiya can also enjoy them, something she can touch and feel as well as hear. He's working on a series of pieces that trades colors for textures.


	29. Haima

Haima is a plague ambassador! She's currently in training to tap into her intense magical abilities. She has little control over them, endangering many with dreadful diseases.

Because of her out of control magic, Haima tends to keep away from the others when not working on ambassador duties. One night she left to take a walk nearby the main caves when she stumbled upon what she thought was a rotting carcass. It was a giant Imperial with horrid injuries: it's body was covered in ancient scars, it's wings hacked off, and there was a giant gash from it's chin to it's belly. It's clothes were stained with old blood and it was covered with staring crows. Haima was horrified and rushed over to check if it were someone from a neighboring clan. She would have to alert the others so that it wouldn't form an Emperor.

Just then, the creature stood up.  
  
Haima now seeks to discover how Ennis can survive when she is supposed to be dead. She and Starwings believe that it is related to the same sort of magic that creates Emperors. Haima has found a sort of friend in Ennis as she cannot kill someone who is already dead.


	30. Nudibranch

Nudibranch is known in the clan as the water ambassador that does not preform any kind of ambassador duties. On the day he came to the Isles, he grumpily announced to Starwings that he had been sent as an ambassador then immediately he left again to live in the nearest tidal pool. He has not left that pool since and throws a ridiculous fit whenever someone asks him to leave it.

Unknown to anyone in his current clan, he is actually an incredibly important member in the Water flight's royal society. From birth he's been groomed to be an incredible psychic so that he could best choose who the next in line for ruler would be.

As a hatchling, Nudibranch became increasingly shrewd and against the entire notion of the royal system altogether. He began to read voraciously, systematically going through every book in the royal palaces, then to the appall of his tutors he somehow tapped into several smuggling networks and began reading pieces from anarchist and rebellion groups.

Nudibranch knew that sooner or later he would be called on to choose the heir to the throne but disliked the idea of continuing the monarchy. So in secret he began to look into each possible heir's future to try and find a path where one of them might successfully end the monarchy. This was incredibly risky as it involved intense trances where he wouldn't be able to move. If he was caught, it would be pretty apparent what he was doing since he had very little power forseeing anything else.

He decided to trick his teachers into letting him study abroad, hoping to have better luck where less people would have an eye on him. His teachers thought that this bratty teenager was probably just bored and thankfully sent him off to another branch of royalty in the Sunbeam Ruins that boasted highly advanced curriculum and all the books a growing dragon could want. They were not foolish though and sent a letter with Nudibranch's guards informing his new teachers about his past with dangerous and unsavory types.

In the Sunbeam Ruins, the professors immediately noticed that Nudibranch took no interest in the books as expected and instead constantly slumped off and made excuses to be alone. They soon caught him taking fervorous notes after a trance about paths that would bring down the monarchy. Nudibranch was imprisoned in his room but escaped.

He had learned that there were few royal families in the Arcane Isles so he decided to go there. Along the way he met Malva, an orphaned mirror, who saved him from starvation in the Wandering Contagion. He had never had to hunt for his own good before and the Scarred Wasteland is dangerous enough. Lucky for him Mirrors aren't meant to live alone so Malva decided to make him her pack. After traveling together for a while, Nudibranch discovered that she was his Charge and spent the night crying to himself. He had always expected the Water royalty to become his Charge, forcibly if necessary. It was in that moment he truly had hope for his future. He barely noticed that his visions had started to only show her future.

* * *

Malva is the only one who can get Nudibranch to leave his tide pool and it's mostly because he's found out from his visions she's about to do something really dangerous.

The royalty family that had raised Nudibranch had been cultivating him to choose one of the heirs as his Charge. This would narrow all his prophesies to be about protecting his Charge thus ensuring the future ruler and the kingdom would be secure. When his caretakers discovered that he was using his powers to look into overthrowing the monarchy, they realized that he was getting Search stirrings and were about to enact their plan to introduce the heirs to him so he would pick one. Nudibranch knew that they had planned for him to choose an heir for his Charge, but didn't recognize the signs of the Search so he misinterpreted his imprisonment. The royal family was incredibly frustrated at his escape, but it is not the first time something like this had happened in their history. They had other young guardians being raised for this task. If they did manage to find him after all this time and discovered that he had a charge, they might try to kidnap Malva so Nudibranch would pay for his treason. That plan would go so-so; Malva is a master escape artist and downright terror.


	31. Ampere

Ampere's job within the Shifting Expanse was to leap from tower to tower, making adjustments and corrections. He was very good at his job and his upbeat attitude was soon recognized for the inspiration it gave to others. He was promoted and given a team of tech support dragons to direct. They were an excellent team and were tasked with greater and greater problems.

Eventually, one such problem arose that baffled Ampere and his team. Occasionally Arcane magic would be introduced into the machines they were tasked with and wreck havoc, sometimes even going so far as to shut them down. Ampere volunteered to become a Lightning representative to the Arcane flight so that he could garner research into Arcane magic and solve the problems. He was introduced to Starwings, a researcher in the field of Arcane magic. Together they agreed to work together to find a way to understand how Arcane and Lightning interact, and perhaps even how to harness the bursts of Arcane magic for additional power.


	32. Day

Day works with her mate to collect information on ancient technological practices. She hopes to use this information to develop a more environmentally friendly dragonkind and halt the breakup of the Southern Icefield.

She's very chatty mostly because she gets caught up in the details or in her own head. If she gets started on archeology or any of her current projects she can talk for days and wander across every little topic that might even be marginally related. Dawn is a huge help refocusing her on what needs to be done. Day has spent weeks living in the library because she got curious about something which lead to a ridiculously long fact hunt meandering from subject to subject. She hadn't even realized she hadn't left or gotten kicked out of the building in all that time.


	33. Ardor

Cruel is what they call her. A butcher. Unforgiving to both friend and foe alike. New recruits fear her and beg to be switched to another trainer. They have seen how she relishes in the carnage, how she devours still screaming prey. Everyone thought Ridgebacks could only stomach seafood right?

She doesn't really borrow items so much as borrows young dragons to train. Sometimes a new dragon will just show up one day crying. Talise will often get into fights with Ardor when this happens, but she can't stop it. Ardor is downright crafty when it comes to surprise training.

The clan has noticed that Ardor is abusive to both members of the clan and trainees. It was decided to make rules that would help protect the trainees such as requiring that they all lodge in the main lair where Talise could watch over and take care of them, as well as only storing food in the main lair with monitored out takes. A new Coliseum trainer was added who was kinder and gentler to the trainees while the clan convinced Ardor to go on difficult item finding missions that would be hampered by trainees. Orchid and Garen are currently making home visits to her victims in order to develop a counseling program. They hope to get Ardor into therapy too.

* * *

Ardor was caught trying to turn Iridis into a living weapon, capable of sucking the breath out of her victims and hearing no orders but Ardor's. She gave this up when the Ghostlight Ruins were discovered and she stumbled across Aulon. Since both have an extreme blood-lust, they decided to become allies. Ardor will give Aulon her battle kills in exchange for more power. Aulon has begun to encroach very close to the lair because of this pact and has caused some strange things to occur in the woods.


	34. Iridis

Iridis was not always a member of the Coliseum trainer team. Originally she was only meant as a temporary replacement until she was taken under Ardor's wing and trained. Unfortunately the ridgeback's gruesome "care" scared her, caused her to become mute, and made her constantly sick. She's called the Ghost of Death by recruits because she moves across the battlefield with unnatural silence and robs the breath of her opponents, suffocating them. Iridis mainly works with Coraggioso now. She's mated to a very kind and gentle Imperial who enjoys brushing her mane and is the best one to ask if you want Iridis to calm down. Rosequartz, Coraggioso, and Ardito are the only ones she'll talk to, if only to whisper. Garen and Orchid will sometimes come and discuss things with her and Rosequartz, but no one is sure about what.

* * *

Ardor was attempting to transform Iridis into a living weapon that could be controlled for use in battles. This ultimately failed when the clan's doctors couldn't find a cure for Iridis's numerous ailments before realizing the true nature of said ailments. She was separated permanently from Ardor and the clan moved to create it required that all trainees as well as the bulk of supplies had to be stored in the main hall. A replacement for Ardor was also trained and Ardor was assigned to be a item forager instead. Ardor has seemed to given up the idea, hopefully.


End file.
